Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth - Beyond the Wallshttp://www.themodern.org/tags/beyond-walls
Life and art outside of the walls of the Museum.
en"Scull’s Angel" Recontextualizedhttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1543
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/photo-may-02-12-36-28-pm.jpg" title="&quot;Scull's Angel&quot; as part of the Guggenheim's &quot;John Chamberlain: Choices&quot; retropsective" width="224" height="300" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" />While visiting the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on a recent trip to New York, I came across the Modern’s <a href="http://www.themodern.org/collection/sculls-angel/872" target="_blank"><em>Scull’s Angel</em></a> (1974), a work by the artist John Chamberlain (1927–2011), included in the Guggenheim’s retrospective<a href="http://web.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/chamberlain/" target="_blank"> <em>John Chamberlain: Choices</em></a>.</p>
<p>It is always intriguing to see a work from the permanent collection recontextualized in a different space, as part of a different group of works. It often changes my perspective of the object in an unexpected way, and that experience lingers even after the object returns to the Modern’s galleries.</p>
<p>In the Guggenheim exhibition, <em>Scull’s Angel</em> was surrounded by three white walls, in relative isolation. The only visual interference was from the flood of people wandering up and down Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiral ramp; but even then, that interference was only present from a certain vantage point. The sculpture’s pedestal at the Guggenheim was higher than the one it typically sits upon at the Modern. Elements of the piece that I was accustomed to seeing at a lower height—scuff marks and the orange turn signal, for example— were suddenly set at eye level. Walking around it, each shift in my perspective altered the work’s shape, and my progress around the piece turned it into a slowly morphing profile of twisted steel.</p>
<p>It was also fascinating to see <em>Scull’s Angel</em> surrounded by other Chamberlains. My acquaintance with the piece actually proved to be a good jumping-off point for observing the rest of the exhibition. After winding my way through the retrospective, the evolution of Chamberlain’s work revealed itself: <em>Scull Angel</em>’s relatively modest monochrome yellow fender gave way to a variety of works that were much larger, bursting with color, or simply experiments with completely different materials.</p>
<p>Overall, my trip through the exhibition with <em>Scull’s Angel</em> as a primary point of reference allowed me to view the piece from a fresh perspective. As I left the Guggenheim, I was reminded of how Chamberlain described his artistic process: “One day something—some one thing—pops out at you, and you pick it up, and you take it over, and you put it somewhere else, and it fits, it’s just the right thing at the right moment.”<sup>1</sup></p>
<p>That afternoon, for me, <em>Scull’s Angel</em> was the perfect fit.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/photo-may-02-12-52-03-pm.jpg" width="500" style="margin: 10px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p>
<p><a href="http://web.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/chamberlain/#collage" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>1 </sup>Quote from the Guggenheim's <em>John Chamberlain: Choices</em> website</span></a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/within-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Within the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Andrea D.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/chamberlaintn.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/chamberlaintn.jpg" width="265" height="265" alt="" /></div></div></div>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:57:33 +0000Andrea1543 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1543#commentsGottlieb and Balancehttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1524
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a href="http://www.themodern.org/collection/apaquogue/894" target="_blank"><img src="/sites/default/files/gottlieb.jpg" title="Apaquogue, 1961" width="300" height="241" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></a></p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/gottlieb-untitled-still-life.jpg" title="Untitled (Still Life), 1941" width="320" height="244" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p>
<p>Every so often an exhibition elsewhere in the Cultural District relates to works in the Modern’s galleries. While taking in <a href="http://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions/american-vanguards-graham-davis-gorky-de-kooning-and-their-circle-1927%E2%80%931942" target="_blank"><em>American Vanguards: Graham, Davis, Gorky, de Kooning, and Their Circle, 1927-1942</em></a>—a wonderful exhibition at the <a href="http://www.cartermuseum.org/" target="_blank">Amon Carter Museum of American Art</a>—I noted that a few of the Adolph Gottlieb paintings on view hold interesting comparisons to our own Gottlieb painting, <a href="http://www.themodern.org/collection/apaquogue/894" target="_blank"><em>Apaquogue</em>, 1961</a>. In particular, <em>Untitled (Still Life)</em>, 1941, is an excellent early example of Gottlieb’s interest in striking a delicate balance between two (quite different) halves of the same composition. In <em>Untitled</em>, a biomorphic mass made of brilliant cadmium, somber red, faint pink, and black, hovers in front of a ground of pink-grey and black bands. These bands bisect the composition horizontally with the upper, lighter strip of color positioned above the heavier, darker swath of color. While the upper register of the painting’s ground is slightly thinner than the lower register, Gottlieb creates visual balance through his inclusion of the above mentioned mass of color. Through careful placement of varying shades of red, <em>Untitled (Still Life)</em> is given visual heft and lightness just where it needs it. What would have otherwise been a bottom-heavy color study is transformed into a sophisticated meditation on form, and the expressive qualities of color.</p>
<p>Likewise, <em>Apaquogue</em> is another careful study in balance and asymmetry. The lower register of the large cream-colored canvas is marked with a wide layer of energetic, thick black brushstrokes. With splats of black paint thrown in every direction, each stroke evidences the artist’s hand. Hovering above this strata of expressionistically applied paint are three colored orbs—deep red, pink, and salmon. These circles of pure color are asymmetrically applied; their slightly non-regular positioning is carefully balanced by their respective color and slight modulations in size. What is striking about <em>Apaquogue</em> is the balance that exists between the expressionistic lower section and the coloristic upper half. The salmon-colored orb pulls to the right, away from the path of its sister circles on the left. Deftly, Gottlieb brings this wayward bit back into the paintings orbit by connecting it to the composition’s lower, graffiti-like register with a fine spray of black paint. Action-based painting and careful placement of color come together in this studied flare-up of simple, black oil paint. As in <em>Untitled (Still Life)</em>, the effect of this choice on the overall harmony of the composition is understated, yet crystal clear.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Erin</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/gthumbnail.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/gthumbnail.jpg" width="336" height="336" alt="" /></div></div></div>Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:34:17 +0000Andrea1524 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1524#commentsBell's Continued Relevancehttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1300
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/LarryBellBlog.jpg" title="Larry Bell, &quot;Untitled (from 'Terminal Series')&quot; (1968)" width="221" height="310" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" />A tall, clear pedestal supporting a cube made of glass stands in a small, rectangular gallery on the Museum’s second floor. The box's support—shiny chrome strips that meet to form precise corners—clarifies the cube's shape and volume. The thirty-eight-inch-high Plexiglas support is translucent, highlighting the smoky-gray color of the glass box. This subtle coloration, created by tinting clear class with a High Vacuum Optical Coating Machine, imbues the sculpture with a sense of mystery. Too heavy a tint would render the interior of the cube invisible; an absence of coloristic variance would cause the viewer's perceptual experience to be a tad one-dimensional. I find it especially interesting that each pane of colored glass is slightly more heavily tinted at its edges, growing less opaque toward its center. This alteration implies movement and is a subtle, but powerful, influence on my interaction with the piece.</p>
<p>In fact, the artist, Larry Bell, aims for his sculpture to work continually, always prompting the viewer to move about a piece, thus changing their viewpoint and augmenting their perception. This quality, coupled with the sculptures verticality—with its pedestal, <a href="http://themodern.balcomshowcase.com/collection/artists/Bell" target="_blank"><em>Untitled (from Terminal Series)</em> (1968)</a> is fifty inches at its tallest plane—causes me to relate to the cube as if it were the head on a human body. I can peer inside the glass shape and witness the varying levels of opacity that occur as my eyes change position and see through one or more layers of the graphite-colored glass. That the bottom plane of glass and its support is translucent allows for a full visual comprehension of the both exterior and interior of the sculpture. This all works to strengthen my perceptual experience of what initially appears to be a simple, uncomplicated sculpture in a low-lit, side gallery of the Museum.</p>
<p>Consequently, because the piece is tucked away in the smaller, more intimate west galleries of the second floor is also significant to its interaction with the viewer. Whenever I come across this work, it is as if a discovery has been made. Rather than being positioned in a more spacious and airy gallery, <em>Untitled</em> seems to wait for the viewer to engage with it. The moodiness of the cube’s color, paired with the reflective quality of its chrome skeleton, work in tandem to produce an effect that mirrors and beckons the viewer simultaneously. Not surprisingly, Bell is considered a leader of California's Light and Space movement. His interest in the quality and variance of light—and dedication to a perceptual experience via modest means (glass, metal, space, and light)—is clearly conveyed in the glass cubes of the artist’s <em>Terminal Series</em>.</p>
<p>A related work by Bell, though not in this series, <em>Iceberg and Its Shadow</em> (1974) is a work that I would very much like to engage with. After listening to a <a href="http://hw.libsyn.com/p/c/8/f/c8fe546f4f781589/MANPodcastEpisodeTwelve.mp3?sid=05d2bbb15d4faf0b9aa3795e9fd8d494&amp;l_sid=34428&amp;l_eid=&amp;l_mid=2880378&amp;expiration=1334704907&amp;hwt=e6b7964497fb15578d47874494d22bb2" target="_blank">podcast</a> featuring Bell and <a href="http://blogs.artinfo.com/modernartnotes/2012/01/the-modern-art-notes-podcast-larry-bell/" target="_blank">Modern Art Notes</a> blogger Tyler Green, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this work (the artist's largest) was on display at the Modern in 1977 (in our days as the Fort Worth Art Museum). This ambitious work, comprised of fifty-six mirrored panels arranged in two parallel sections, was never installed in its entirety. Instead, segments of it were installed in various iterations and according to the time and space constraints of its host institutions. After listening to the entire interview, it was a delight to learn that <em>Iceberg and Its Shadow</em> was most completely installed during its time at the Modern (time constraints prohibited the full installation of the piece).</p>
<p>The impetus for Green's interview with Bell is the current bevy of exhibitions in <a href="http://www.pacificstandardtime.org/" target="_blank">Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945–1980</a>. This enormous survey includes sixty Southern Californian cultural institutions exhibiting work that represents every major L.A. art movement from 1945 to 1980. That Bell has a history – and a present – in our galleries makes a listen to this interview all the more rewarding.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">On the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Erin</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/LarryBellTN.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/LarryBellTN.jpg" width="221" height="221" alt="" /></div></div></div>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:26:44 +0000Andrea1300 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/1300#commentsRust in Autumnhttp://www.themodern.org/blog/240
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a class="imagelink" title="Exterior of Museum 2002" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Museum22.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Museum22.jpg" alt="Exterior of Museum 2002" id="image361" /></a></p>
<p>I recently came across a photo of the Modern at its opening in December of 2002. The imposing façade is flat. The many leafless trees are small against the bulk of the building. </p>
<p>What a difference the seven years since have made.</p>
<p><a class="imagelink" title="Exterior 2009" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/falltrees.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/falltrees.jpg" alt="Exterior 2009" width="405" height="273" id="image362" /></a></p>
<p>More than one hundred bald cypress trees grace the grounds of the Modern. They line the perimeter of the parking lot in a rhythm of two trees, three parking spaces then two trees again. They shade the interior of the parking lot in a similar fashion. And they flank the entrance in two small groves, those trees placed personally by architect Tadao Ando. Ando-san famously described his desire to build here an “arbor for art”. As the cypresses mature that vision becomes clearer and clearer as the separation between outside and inside becomes less distinct.</p>
<p>These trees are reminiscent of the evergreen Japanese Cedar or Sugi, which shares its buttressed trunk and delicate foliage. Sugi are often found planted around shrines and temple precincts in Japan to shade visitors from the sun and hush the sounds of the surrounding city. Here at the Modern, the cypresses perform a similar function. Unlike their Japanese counterparts though, they shed their feathery foliage in autumn, hence the appellation “bald”.</p>
<p>The leaves turn subtle shades of rust as they fall, echoing the weathered steel of Richard Serra’s Vortex. Come see, before the leaves are gone.</p>
<p><a class="imagelink" title="Cypress" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/cypress.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/cypress.jpg" alt="Cypress" id="image363" /></a></p>
<p>Composing a haiku on the view is suggested but not mandatory. Feel free to post yours in the comments section.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Michael M.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/RustThumbnail.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/RustThumbnail.jpg" width="160" height="180" alt="" /></div></div></div>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:30:32 +0000admin240 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/240#commentsStephen Colbert, Art Historian?http://www.themodern.org/blog/238
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<p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><strong>The Colbert Report</strong> <br />Get More: <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/">Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor &amp; Satire Blog</a>,<a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/video">Video Archive</a></p>
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<p>For someone who claims not to like art, Stephen Colbert possesses an uncanny ability to recognize (and exploit for comedic purposes) one of several on-going debates circulating throughout the Art World.</p>
<p>His interview with Thomas Campbell, the new director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, started out innocently enough by Colbert-standards: there was candid discussion as to whether tapestries are merely "rugs you nail to the wall," a passing reference to <em>Night At The Museum</em>, and assertions made about the palatability of Vermeer paintings.</p>
<p>But then Colbert caught me (and, quite possibly, Mr. Campbell) completely by surprise by bringing up a very relevant discussion:</p>
<p><em>COLBERT: I don’t know [what’s] art. I don’t know if that [coffee mug] is art, or if [Damien Hirst’s] shark is art…Who's to say what is art? Is art only "good art" if an art critic says, "Yeah, that’s good art"? Or could it just be good art even if nobody </em>knows<em> it's good art? Can "good art" exist without an audience?</em></p>
<p><em>CAMPBELL : We've got a lot of experts at the museum whose job it is to really understand the history of the time and to collect, make careful decisions, to bring forward objects that are really meaningful in the context of their periods. When you come through to present day, where the values are still really being kind of determined, it's kind of a tricky business. </em></p>
<p><em></em> <em>COLBERT: And who determines [their value]? You guys do. You elitists do. You elitists say, "That's good, that's bad" don't you? </em></p>
<p><em></em> <em>CAMPBELL: I'd say it's our audience. </em></p>
<p><em></em> <em>COLBERT: You put it in a museum. When you put it in a museum, you say "that's art".</em></p>
<p>Mr. Colbert has a valid point. Museum space is transformative: because the public ventures into museums with the intention of "seeing" the art objects inside, everything within a museum becomes subject to formal scrutiny. It is this transformative power that can turn your average discarded urinal into a "fountain," or a pile of green candy into a work of art. People look at things differently in a museum, and simple details like the shape of a Brillo box or <a href="http://www.themodern.org/f_html/judd.html">the alignment of a stack of steel rectangles</a> appears much more purposeful and profound than it would, say, in your local supermarket.</p>
<p>It's not that the objects change. What changes is <em>how the objects are viewed</em>. What changes is <em>us</em>.</p>
<p>Which brings me to the second part of Colbert’s argument: if it is the <em>viewers</em> who attribute artistic value to a work of art, (as Mr. Campbell claims), and that value is based on their own appreciation of its formal characteristics, their own knowledge or biases...if the viewers are responsible for "determining the value" of a work, then who has the right to judge whether an artwork is "good"? Who decides what's a masterpiece, and what should be displayed in an obscure back hallway in the museum basement?</p>
<p>As Campbell points out, many museums (including the Met and the Modern) base the value of a piece of art on its significance to its historical context, or its importance to a particular artistic movement. A work's value is less a question of how aesthetically pleasing it is, and more about how it fits into the "big picture" that is The Art History Canon. Obviously, this is not the only way to attribute "value" to works of art, but it's often the best way to display a piece in order that it might be better understood by viewers as a part of the larger scheme of things. For museums whose primary focus is the experience between the object and the visitor, this is one of the most effective ways of displaying our collections. But the fact remains that somewhere along the line, someone in a museum has to make a decision prioritizing certain works over others. This is not necessarily "elitist," but it is necessary.</p>
<p>In fact, this decisive act is not so different from Mr. Colbert's decision to display his painted portrait over his fireplace, as opposed to some other location on his set. The portrait reflects the awards and accolades of the show, and thus its prominent location on the set makes it incredibly relevant to its context.</p>
<p>Does this make Mr. Colbert an elitist...? You can be the judge. But we do offer Mr. Colbert a "tip of our hat" for bringing this artistic debate to the forefront.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Andrea D. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/ColbertThumbnail.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/ColbertThumbnail.jpg" width="160" height="180" alt="" /></div></div></div>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:46:42 +0000admin238 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/238#commentsDay in the District: Experiencing "Whoa" Momentshttp://www.themodern.org/blog/232
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a title="Photo by Holland Sanders" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ditd%20flyers%20and%20wristbands.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ditd%20flyers%20and%20wristbands.jpg" alt="Photo by Holland Sanders" title="Photo by Holland Sanders" align="top" width="469" height="315" id="image342" /></a></p>
<p>After surviving my very first <a title="Fort Worth Day in the District" href="http://www.fwdayinthedistrict.org/">Day in the District</a>, I am happy to report that it was quite an experience. Saturday's event coincided with National Museum Day, and Fort Worth's entire Cultural District threw open the doors to their museums, their gardens, (and even their log cabins) to give the public a day of free admission and live entertainment. It was an opportunity for visitors to experience much of what Fort Worth has to offer, as well as providing a chance for the locals to get out and savor familiar surroundings all over again.</p>
<p>In fact, I was astounded by the sheer amount – and variety – of experiences that the event was capable of producing. The Modern alone hosted performances by <a title="Texas Boy's Choir" href="http://www.texasboyschoir.org/index.php?start=4">The Texas Boy's Choir</a>, <a href="http://www.thefwjo.com/live/">The Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra</a>, Fort Worth's local <a href="http://www.cdfw.org/">Contemporary Dance</a> troupe, and film shorts by <a href="http://www.thebutterflyconnection.org/index.html">The Butterfly Connection</a>. And that wasn't even taking into consideration the art exhibits: it was the final weekend that the <em>William Kentridge: Five Themes</em> exhibition was going to be on display, and the permanent collection, as always, was a big hit. People of every age entered our doors: families with children, high school and college students, and groups of adults, all of whom were eager to see, experience, explore as much as they could.</p>
<p><a title="Photo by Holland Sanders" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/kentridge.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/kentridge.jpg" alt="Photo by Holland Sanders" width="471" height="354" id="image343" /></a></p>
<p>The flow of people between museums also provided the opportunity to compare and contrast common themes between exhibitions. For example, I was struck by the way that Kentridge's <em>Journey to the Moon</em>, and Philip Haas' film <em>The Butcher Shop</em> (which was on view at <a title="Kimbell (Haas Exhibition)" href="https://www.kimbellart.org/haas/">The Kimbell Museum</a>) dealt with the subject of artistic inspiration in such strikingly different ways. Kentridge portrays his search for inspiration as deeply personal and introspective; it involves scrutinizing books, pacing around the room, and imaginative flights of fancy...occasionally to another planet. In contrast, Haas' video installation depicts an actor (representing Annibale Carracci, painter of the piece which inspired the film) intensely studying the action that surrounds him, immersing himself within the butcher's shop and making periodic pauses to note specific images that would eventually find their way into some of his later works. This duality between exhibits allowed the public to engage with a variety of works in multiple museums, while finding common links between them.</p>
<p>However, many experiences inspired by Day in the District were much less complex. While providing wrist bands to visitors, I was approached by a young girl around six or seven years old. She produced a small photo album within which, with painstaking care, she had organized a collection of postcards depicting art works from various museums. Thumbing through the pages, she suddenly stopped and pointed to a postcard representation of Melissa Miller's <em><a href="http://www.themodern.org/f_html/miller.html">The Ark</a></em>, a piece in the Modern's permanent collection: "I'd like to see that one, please."</p>
<p>I offered to take her directly to the piece, and once we rounded the last corner and Miller's menagerie was in sight, I witnessed one of those moments that causes warm fuzzy feelings in the hearts of all art professionals: The clear blue eyes of the young girl lit up, and her lips widened into an incredulous smile. "Whoa…! It's so big! Look, Mommy, look at the animals…!"</p>
<p>Unable to suppress a smile myself, I left the girl and her bemused mother in front of the painting, but I knew (and, could occasionally hear) similar experiences happening all over the building. There were the occasional gasps of "Wow!" or "Cool!", but equally poignant were the silences of internal epiphanies, of thoughts shifting and rearranging themselves in the heads of so many. Day at the District was, overall, an experience <em>about</em> the experience...about experiencing a cultural area, about the thoughts and feelings it inspired. It was about creating one "Whoa" moment after another.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/behind-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Behind the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/within-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Within the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Andrea D. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/DITDThumbnail.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/DITDThumbnail.jpg" width="160" height="180" alt="" /></div></div></div>Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:14:48 +0000admin232 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/232#commentsRain, Rain, Rain...http://www.themodern.org/blog/227
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a class="imagelink" title="Flat cap" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Flat%20cap.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Flat%20cap.jpg" alt="Flat cap" width="475" height="358" id="image323" /></a></p>
<p>It has been raining here in Fort Worth for the past four days. Looking out my office window this morning the sky to the south looks ominous. I don’t mind the rain, in fact, I love it. It rains so little here in Texas during the summer that when it does rain, it washes away all my hasty thoughts about moving to a northern climate with four seasons and more predictable rain patterns.</p>
<p>The lovely thing about Texas when it does rain is that it comes in torrents. Well, maybe that isn’t lovely but it is spectacular to watch as rivers, yes, rivers of water tear down the street. After the torrent of rain, my son and I love to wade in the calmer waters of gentle streams along the curbs of our street to collect worms, run our hands through accumulated mounds of sand, gather rocks that were too big to wash away and if lucky enough, find treasures from our journey.</p>
<p>Above is one such treasure. I couldn’t resist posting this as an extension of Terri’s previous <a href="/node/224" target="_blank">blog post</a> inviting images of flattened objects and as an obvious reference to Cornelia Parker’s work, <a href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/parker.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Rorschach (Endless Column I)</em></a>, floating patiently in the galleries, thankfully unaffected by the weather.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Christine B. </div></div></div>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:56:46 +0000admin227 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/227#commentsA "Paine" full year.http://www.themodern.org/blog/216
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a class="imagelink" title="Roxy Paine, Conjoined, 2007" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Conjoined_DWharton_small.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Conjoined_DWharton_small.jpg" alt="Roxy Paine, Conjoined, 2007" id="image278" /></a></p>
<p>Yes, really bad pun intended, for it has been one year, for some a long year and for others a seemingly short one, but it has been a year since Roxy Paine installed <em>Conjoined</em>.</p>
<p><em>Conjoined</em> is the unmistakable and unmissable sculpture situated on the far side of the Modern's pond (which I urge museum goers to take a closer look at). Conjoined is a 40 ft tall by 45 ft wide sculpture of two trees whose branches cantilever in space and connect in mid air.</p>
<p>I will admit that the last time I actually walked out across the lawn to inspect <em>Conjoined</em> was when Paine was in installing the giant. At that time I was completely overwhelmed with Paine's tedious hand, the intricacy and sheer number of the welds was overwhelming. A year later the piece still proves masterful, as I sat on the lawn I was overwhelmed in a different manner, the longer I gazed at <em>Conjoined</em> that harder it was to distinguish it from an actual tree (I mean once you can overlook the shiny exterior, and I have seen trees painted silver before. An example for you Fort Worth dwellers: the fantastic house on the corner of Lubbock and W. Bowie St.)</p>
<p>Tangent aside, <em>Conjoined</em> is a true intersection of nature and industrialization. When I first approached <em>Conjoined</em> this afternoon, I was amazed to see two birds nestled among its branches as if nothing were amiss about the stainless-steel network. As the fourth outdoor installation at the Modern, the gorgeous glint of lightening should not be missed when visiting.</p>
<p>This Paine obsession has been brought on with unveiling of Paine's most recent work. The following video is of the installation of <em>Maelstrom</em>, a 130-foot long centerpiece for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual roof top garden exhibition. </p>
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/td_NVTJaah8" frameborder="0" width="420" height="315"></iframe>
<p>Much like <em>Conjoined</em>, <em>Maelstrom</em> appears to be a swirling entanglement of stainless-steel pipe that viewers can walk through giving them a sense of being immersed in the midst of a force of nature. Set against the backdrop of Central Park and the New York City skyline, <em>Maelstrom</em> continues the interplay between man-made and nature.</p>
<p><em>Maelstrom</em> is Paine's largest and most ambitious piece in the Dendroid series. This Dendroids series, of which <em>Conjoined</em> and <em>Maelstrom</em> are a part of, is based upon systems such as tree roots, industrial piping and vascular networks. This series, embodies man's complex relationship with nature. The manufactured organic nature of these industrial pieces proves to be philosophically resounding in a world with our continuing conservational and environmental dilemmas.</p>
<p>[note: Check out a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themodern/sets/72157604383097948/">series of photographs</a> taken during the installation of our <em>Conjoined</em> on our <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themodern/">flickr stream</a>]</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/within-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Within the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Casey</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Thumbnail:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/PaineThumbnail.jpg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.themodern.org/sites/default/files/PaineThumbnail.jpg" width="160" height="180" alt="" /></div></div></div>Thu, 21 May 2009 19:21:25 +0000admin216 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/216#commentsViewfinder: Texas Weatherhttp://www.themodern.org/blog/209
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a class="imagelink" title="Weather" href="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/clouds.jpg"><img src="http://www.modernblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/clouds.jpg" alt="Weather" style="width: 400px; height: 598px;" id="image263" /></a></p>
<p>This time of year, the weather is as spectacular as it is fickle. These clouds rolled in on Wednesday afternoon and had everyone looking at the skies for a while. This storm brought hail and pouring rain, then it cleared up for beautiful and sunny skies. </p>
<p>Then today, its rinse and repeat.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Dustin</div></div></div>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:08:18 +0000admin209 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/209#commentsThe Meaning of [Art]...http://www.themodern.org/blog/203
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Being a Religious Studies major and a Sculpture student at Texas Christian University, my realms often overlap and mingle with each other. This past week I started reading Wilfred Cantwell Smith's <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Meaning and End of Religion</span>. Now the book barks, (I say barks because that is exactly what he does), on the certain issue of the definition of religion and how it is completely and utterly inadequate and how it fails to accomodate the greater issues at hand when one is actually trying to define the term religion (or religions, any variation of the word will do).</p>
<p>Context aside, my fellow students were quick to embrace Smith's etymology and try to find other words and ideas with which to equate this dilemma. It was not a few seconds after the question was proposed that the imminent answer came: ART.</p>
<p>Upon referencing Webster, art has sixteen off-hand definitions, and multiple origins. Now I would be bold to say that religion and art are in the same realm etymologically, minus the God-complex (althoughhhh some artists do have that). My defintions of art and religion flip-flop all over the place. Even with a given criteria, there is always an exception. This dilemma begs some extremely important questions; can one define something so utterly personal as art? Can one limit the criteria upon which "art" is judged so, which would mean an ultimate exclusion from the realm? I have a vision of a panel of judges much like that for your garden variety Fraternity Belly-flop contest. "10 pts. for Originality", "deductions for sloppy presentation", etc...</p>
<p>Again, playful and tangent imagery aside, the defintion of art is food for thought.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/beyond-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beyond the Walls</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/within-walls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Within the Walls</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Casey</div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:52:56 +0000admin203 at http://www.themodern.orghttp://www.themodern.org/blog/203#comments